Puzzle.



No. 769,127. I PATENTED AUG. 30,1904.

' G. s. ANDREWS.

PUZZLE;

APPLIOATION II'LED MAY 25, 1904. no menu. s sums-sum 1.

PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

G. S. ANDREWS.

PUZZLE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1904.

3 8HBETSSHEBT 2.

i0 MODEL.

Shown? Garza ail: W

Witnzoowo No. 769,127. PATENTED AUG. 30, 17904,

' G. S. ANDREWS.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1904. 7 NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' $1wntoz Garneit A5? Mews UNITED I STATES Patented August 30, 1904:.

PATENT OFFICE.

I PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,127, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed May 25,1904. Serial No. 209,704. (No model.)

To all whore it may concern:

in pockets or pens; and my invention consists in a puzzle of this class having as its essential feature two oppositely-arranged spiral ways having at theirupper ends the pens or pockets in which the balls are to be lodged; and my invention further consists in the features Of construction hereinafter described and claimed. I I The puzzle of my invention is simple in construction and is adapted to be cheaply made of inexpensive material and without necessity for expensive tools for cutting out the parts or assembling them.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, taken from the rear.

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention,

taken from the front. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4: is a horizontal sectional view on a plane about midway between the top and base. Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views on lines a a and 6 b, respectively, of Fig. 3; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of parts of the device.

In the drawings, 1 is a base-piece consisting of a flat plate of cardboard or other suitable material, preferably circular. To the basepiece are secured pieces 3 and 4, cut from cardboard or other thin and inexpensive material. Piece 3 comprises a narrow strip 3, spiral in form, having its greatest diameter at the end atthe left of -the median line and having at this end an approximately semicircular portion extending inward toward the center and at the other end, at which the spiral has its least diameter,'a rectangular portion 6, also extending inward. Piece 4 comprises a nar-, row strip 4', spiral in form, but of lessdiameter than the spiral strip 3, having its greatest diameter at the right of the median line and having at this end an approximately semicircular portion 7 extending inward and at its other end having a rectangular portion 8 extending" inward. The inwardly-extending semicircular portions 5 and 7 correspond in size and shape, so that when fitted together they form an approximately circular flat plate, and the inwardly-extending portions 6 and 8 also-correspond in shape and size, so that when the parts are fitted together these portions form a rectangular plate or platform.

Along the outer edges of the strips 3 and 4 vertical strips 9 and 10 are secured, and

along theinner edges of these strips 3 and 4t vertical strips 11 and 12 are secured, the strips 3 and 4:, with the vertical strips 9 10 and 11 12,-thus forming troughs or ways. The strips 3 and 4 are interlocked, so that the right-hand end of strip 3 is above the righthand end of strip-4t, and the left-hand end of strip 4 is above the left-hand end of strip 3, the strips 3 and 4:, with the vertical strips 9 10 and 11 12, being bent into helical form, so as to bring the inner endsof both strips a considerable distance above the outer ends. The outer ends of the pieces 3 and 4 are securedby pasting or otherwise to the baseplate 1, and the inner elevated ends of these pieces are secured together in any convenient manner, as by a reinforcing-plate 13, pasted or otherwise secured to their under faces. The two strips 3 and 4E areheld in helical form by a brace 14 between the under side of the piece 3 about midway of its length. Vertical strips 15 and 16 are secured along the edges of the portions 5 and? and 6 and 8,respectively, and a corresponding strip 17 is secured along the line of junction of the portions 6 and 8.

The vertical strips 11 and 12 along the inner edges of the strips 3 and 4 are extended beyond thepointof junction of the inner edges of these strips with the edge of the semicircular portions5 and? and are bent inward, forming shoulders 18, and the ends of the strips 9 and are bent inward at theline of junction of the outer ends of the pieces 3 and L, forming an inwardly-directed shoulder 19, which points toward the openingbetween the shoulders 18.

It will of. course be understood that the terms right and left, as above used, are relative only, and the pieeeS may be arranged with its semicircular portion 5 at the right and the piece 4, with its semicircular portion 7 at the left, it being necessary only that the pieces 3 and 4 be so constructed and arranged that their spiral portions shall be opposite in direction.

When the parts are assembled as above described, it will be readily seen that the semicircular portions 5 and 7, with the vertical strip 15, form an inclosure or pen at the base of the device, communicating through the opening between the shoulders 18 with two spiral helical ways formed by the strips 3' and 4:, with the vertical strips 9 10 and 11 12 leading to two elevated inclosures or pens formed by the strip 16 and 17 about the edges of the portions 6 and 8.

20 indicates a number of balls or marbles, preferably of uniform diameter and preferably four in number. These balls or marbles are preferably of such diameter relative to the width of the spiral ways that they will roll freely in them, but cannot pass one another.

Starting with the four balls or marbles 20 in the lower inclosure or pen, the puzzle is Without touching any of them or moving them other than by movement of the device itself to cause two of the balls or marbles to pass from the lower pen along one of the spiral ways into one of the upper pens and to cause the other two balls to pass along the other'spiral way into the other one of the upper pens, so that the four balls will all be in the upper penstwo in each pen.

The difiiculty in solving the puzzle is increased by the shoulders 18, which extend inward sufliciently far to catch and hold a ball or marble, and is further increased by the inwardly-extending shoulder 19, which tends to direct balls passing from one of the ways into the lower pen, thus preventing them from readily passing from one way to the other.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of any particular number of balls or marbles or to any particular size relative to the Ways.

If preferred, the vertical strips 9 10 and 11 12 or portions of them may be formed integral with the spiral portions 3 or 4:. Any desired material may be used for the several parts of the device, such as cardboard or sheet metal, and some of the parts may be made of one material and part of another; but on account of cheapness I prefer to make the several parts of cardboard and to unite them by paste or glue.

It will be noted that the complete. puzzle comprises only three principal parts the base 1 and the two pieces 3 and at with the vertical strips, the reinforcing-plate 13, and the brace 14:. The device is thus simple and inexpensive in construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, an inclosure or pen formed on the base, a pair of inclosures or pens above the base, and opposite spiral ways leading from the inclosure or pen on the base to the inclosures or pens above the base.

2. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, an inclosure or pen formed on the base, a pair of inclosures or pens above the base, and opposite spiral helical ways leading from the inclosure or pen on the base to the inclosures or pens above the base.

3. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, an inclosure or pen formed on the base having inwardly-extending shoulders at its ontrance, a pair of inclosures or pens above the base, and opposite spiral ways leading from the inclosure or pen on the base to the inclosure or pen above the base.

4. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, an inclosure or pen formed on the base having inwardly-extending shoulders at its entrance, a pair of inclosures or pens above the base, and opposite spiral ways leading from the inclosure or pen on the base to the inclosures or pens above the base, the ways being provided with an inwardly-extending shoulder opposite the entrance of the inclosure or pen on the base.

5. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, a pair of interlocked spiral strips secured at one end to the base and having their opposite ends secured together and elevated above the base, and Vertical strips secured to the edges of the spiral strips.

6. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, a pair of interlocked spiral strips secured at one end to the base, having on their opposite ends inward extensions and having the ends carrying the extensions secured together and elevated above the base, and vertical strips secured to the edges of the spiral strips and to the edges of their extensions.

7. In a puzzle, the combination of a base, a pair of interlocked spiral strips of diiierent diameters, one of which is a right-hand spiral and the other a left-hand spiral, the strips being secured at one end to the base and having their other ends elevated above the base and secured together, vertical strips secured wardly-bent portions forming shoulders and the vertical strips on the outer, edges of the spiral strips being curved inward to form a shoulder. I a

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two wltnesses.

GARNETT s. ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

THos. W. DANIEL, J. B. RICHARDSON. 

